Before and After
by TheCopyNinja123
Summary: Really bad at summaries. The story is made up of the events leading up to Itachi's death and after. POV Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke and Sakura's relationship together and apart. R&R please and enjoy. . Contains LEMON, you will be warned.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a little info before you get started. Every chapter labeled Part 1: Before means that they occured before Sasuke comes back home. I'm sure you could have thought of that, but just in case. All of the chapter will be short, but not this short. I hope you enjoy it . Review when you're done, I want all the advice I can get. **

**Part 1: Before**

**Chapter 1**

Sakura peered at the digital clock from underneath the cool white sheets; it read 3:51 am. Blowing a wispy pink hair out of her eye, she rolled over and stuck her face deep in the soft feather tick pillow. She breathed in deeply smelling the sweetness of the shampoo that had become all too familiar to her. Anybody else would say it was just shampoo and smelled like scented soap, but to her, it smelled like a cool breeze on a summer evening. The scent was so real to her she could almost hear the wind whipping through the trees and the birds chirping melodiously as it carried them to their destination. Yes, it was all very poetic and she could explain it all to well because of the many times she had tried to describe it to herself. 

She looked around the dark room and focused on the window behind the desk. The room around her was so heavily shrouded in the darkness that she could see clearly outside. Trees lit up by the moon, which was whole and round and glowing like a beacon. She hoped that it was a beacon that would lead him home and waited for him every night. His room was almost exactly as she imagined it, simple would be the word. Sasuke was obviously a minimalist in so many ways; he only wanted things he needed. The room was tidy when she had first decided to come months before. She had debated on it for quite a while, mostly because it felt foreign to her. He would never have let her in his home, she knew that much. Everything was placed methodically around the room; everything had a spot that was intended for it. She moved nothing, liking the feeling of being in his room where everything was his way. It was almost like being with him.

Without her parents or team knowing, she spent a lot of time at Sasuke's. Sometimes, when missions came sparingly, she would spend a Sunday or Wednesday cleaning the house. Without anyone living in it, the rooms collected dust quickly. Those were her favorite days; walking around the house until it became familiar to her. She knew every nook and crack in the house because she had cleaned them all at least twice. The wooden floors mopped and polished lovingly, waiting for the owner's feet to cross it once more. The picture in her head was one she knew would never be true or factual. Sasuke would come home and find his home as clean and perfect as it was before he left. He would wonder who would do such a thing for him and discover that it was her. She didn't expect a kiss or anything of that nature. All she would want are those two little words he had given her many months ago: thank you. She had lost all hope of him loving her when she had confessed her feelings and he had turned her away. 

Naruto was still dead set on bringing him back, but she had lost some of her faith. She would never tell Naruto that, of course. The idea of stealing him away was becoming less and less appealing. She wanted him back so badly it hurt, but the thought of dragging him back "kicking and screaming," as Naruto would say, just didn't seem right. They were, let's face it, being selfish. Sakura had realized this after three solid months of crying into her pillow. She had never stopped to think of how Sasuke might feel. When he left, she had told him she understood, but did she really? The answer was no, she didn't and never would. Maybe she would have gotten a more positive response if she had told him she knew that he needed to go. That she cared about him and would worry about him until he was back in the village. That she would wait for him and pray that he got what he wanted and was safe. If she hadn't talked only about herself and about her stupid girlish feelings for him. If she hadn't clung to him so hopelessly. . . If she had only been strong.

God he was so strong. She admired his strength more than anything else about him. She, who was always weak, always crying. How could she even think that someone so strong would want someone so weak and spineless like herself? She hated how she could never read him, or how he never paid any attention to her, but she also loved it. Many people in the village, especially her parents, couldn't understand her feelings for Sasuke. They just didn't see how she could love someone who would betray his village and leave her with a broken heart. The answer was that she just didn't see it like they did. She saw a boy who was hurt and determined to heal that hurt however he could, even if it meant going against everyone's wishes. She couldn't hate someone just because they wanted to be happy. Besides, more than anything, she wanted him to be happy.

Exhaling deeply, Sakura turned back to look at the clock; it read 4:01 am. Only ten minutes had passed and all of her thoughts had been filled with Sasuke. Getting out of the bed and putting her warm feet onto the cool wood floor, she wondered where he was at that exact moment and if he was maybe thinking of home. She also wondered if she would ever stop thinking about him.

**Remember: PLEASE REVIEW.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you enjoyed my chapter one enough to read a second one, either way I will keep writing. Please read and review, I'd greatly appreciate your input. Thanks for reading. . I forgot this last chapter:**

**NARUTO DOES NOT BELONG TO ME! T.T**

**Part 1: Before**

**Chapter 2**

Sasuke rolled over, pushed the dark strands of hair out of his face, and leaned up on his elbows. Blinking, red-rimmed eyes stared into the darkness of the chamber searching for the bright green numbers. When he saw the time, he felt the need to break the clock into a million tiny pieces until all that was left was the shape of it on the desk in the dust. He had been tossing and turning in the small, uncomfortable bed for hours, and now at 3:51 a.m. he was still awake. He longed for his bed, his sheets, his walls, and his home. He hated the dreadful place with walls that were cracked like the people within them; walls that never ended and carried on forever into the darkness. It was enough to drive a person mad. He was however, closer to reaching his goal than he had been before. Being in Konoha was only slowing him down; Naruto, Sakura, and even his softhearted sensei slowed him down. He didn't much enjoy being in Orochimaru's lair, but if it led to his brother's death, he didn't care if he died in the disgusting place. 

Being in Konoha had agitated him, made his skin itch like a disease. He would look at the people, see their happiness, and covet; he wanted it all back. He wanted to be carefree, to be happy like he had once been. He hated them all for having what he didn't, especially her. She was always joyful, laughing and smiling and untouched by anything that wasn't good. Her parents loved her, her friends loved her, hell everyone loved her. It made him sick, the way she had spoken to him before he left. Spoken of how she understood his pain and loneliness. She could never understand how he felt, and the fact that she had acted as if her pain equaled his, made him despise her even more. She claimed to love him, but that was a lie. How could anyone love someone who had never spoken more than a few sentences to them; it was impossible. 

He rolled over to where he was facing away from the clock only to be staring at the wall. The way she had acted when he left, the way she had looked at him. . . He wouldn't believe it. She was nothing more than a selfish little girl, who wouldn't know love if it kicked her in the ass. Naruto had doted on her and she had turned the other cheek to look at Sasuke with big, needy eyes. She ignored Naruto, who he supposed loved her. He didn't really know what one did when they loved someone in the way a guy loves a girl, but Naruto seemed determined to prove whatever feelings he had for Sakura. It made Sasuke grin under his stiff sheets just thinking of the way the boy acted around her. He had been insulted by Naruto for treating Sakura badly, and then, Sakura would actually yell and threaten Naruto for being angry with Sasuke. It was interesting to watch her defend someone who couldn't stand her; it was even more interesting because she knew he disliked her. 

He would never understand Sakura. She walked around, most likely, the smartest kunoichi in the village, and yet, she only thought about him. Never focusing on her training, but putting all her time into him. Such a waste, so useless on the battlefield and useless in general. However, he found the thought of not being able to witness her uselessness displeasing. He had saved her countless times, but he didn't know why. He supposed he had some kind of bond to her, as well as Naruto and Kakashi. However, his bond with her was not the same. Sasuke wasn't sure if it was because she was a girl or because he cared for her differently. But no, he didn't feel anything for her but annoyance and agitation. She was nothing but a burden blocking the way to achieving his ultimate goal.

Again, his thoughts jumped to the night he left. She had known he was leaving, but he didn't know how. It's not as if he had told anyone; she was just there. Crying and begging him to stay, confessing her love to him without shame. He remembered her big, glassy green eyes as she pleaded for him to stay with her. Sasuke closed his eyes and crossed his arms behind his head, feeling his lungs expand as he inhaled deeply. Her promises echoed in his head as he recalled her in her red dress. She had promised him happiness if he'd stayed. Happiness. . . Little did she know, she had promised him exactly what he wanted, everything he wanted. She also wasn't aware that she couldn't give him that, happiness. He could only be happy when his brother was six feet beneath the ground. 

He uncrossed his arms from behind his head and looked at the clock once more; it read 4:01 a.m. He didn't get much sleep at night considering where he was. He knew he was safe for two more years, but if comforted him little. One eye always open and one hand on his katana is how he would stay for the next few years. If he could get his head out of Konoha, he could return home to there sooner.

**Remember: READ AND REVIEW**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! . Almost forgot to add in my two cents. Hope this chapter is out soon enough for ya Chinookchick! I'd expected to get this chapter out earlier but Gladys, my computer, was giving me some problems. I hope you like this chapter, I found it difficult to write for some reason. If you like it please review. It would make me very happy and a much faster writer :) Thank you to those who have reviewed! P.S. Chapter will probably get longer as story progresses. . . a lot longer.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke and Sakura would have kissed by now! (Seriously Kishi, pick it up a bit!)**

**Part 1: Before**

**Chapter 3**

_2 and a Half Years Later_

In the darkness something was ringing, loudly. It sounded so close, but she couldn't seem to pinpoint exactly which direction it was coming from. She tried desperately to move her body, but it refused to comply with the signals from her brain. Her breath, coming in harsh, panicked spurts, made her lungs feel sharp and constricted. The ringing was driving her insane; it pieced her ears and made her cry out in pain. Her heart was in her throat and jumped into her ribs like a frightened animal, banging against her ribs in an erratic dance that made her head swim. Slowly, she became conscious of her surroundings, and with a colossal effort, made her right arm swing out to the side. Something hit the ground with a clanging noise that didn't seem to fit the world she was currently bound in. Her eyes flew open as she sat erect in the bed, breathing hard, but evenly. With still foggy vision and jelly legs, Sakura rose from her bed and stepped on the shattered remains of her clock. 

"Hmph. . . Another busted alarm clock. I really need to set it further from the bed," Sakura whispered through a yawn. She bent down to pick up some of the pieces and happened to notice the time; it read 6:00 a.m. To be honest, she wished she hadn't set her clock for 5:30, it was a bit early to start out the day, but she had to get going. Next time she would time her sleep correctly, waking up in the middle of REM sleep was not a good idea; she didn't want to wake up half paralyzed again. 

Throwing the broken clock in the trash, she went in the bathroom to take a shower. She always felt better after a hot shower; the steam seemed to clear her mind of past troubles and allow her to start a new. Standing under the shower head, she let the warm water cascade over her head and onto the rest of her body. She moved her head from side-to-side in order to release an kinks that had presented themselves during the night. Once clean, she turned off the water and stepped over the side of the tub onto the reed mat. The reeds quickly absorbed the water dripping from her body as she dried herself off with a towel. Once no longer dripping from head to toe she dropped the towel into the hamper and crossed her room to put on her clothes. Half-way there she stopped in front of the full length mirror facing her bed. 

She stepped in front of her naked reflection and took in all the things that had changed in the last two-and-a-half years. Her thin frame now possessed more curves and less baby fat. Admittedly she wasn't very big upstairs, but she made up for it with a fairly sizable basement. As her mother had once put it, "most men don't like skinny little girls, but well-shaped women." Despite what her mother said, Sakura was still self-conscience about her lack of breasts. She remembered a time when she was younger and wondering what Sasuke would think of her small chest size. A smile came over her face as she thought of her younger self looking in the same mirror. She had criticized everything from her nose to the centimeter thick pooch on her belly. Blowing a hair out of her face, she recalled not being able to walk in front of a shiny surface without stopping to inspect herself in it. 

Her eyes ventured to a picture on her desk; it was the picture of team seven, her picture. Naruto was so short, shorter than her and Sasuke. She bit her lip as she looked at Sasuke; he stood there with his eyes hooded and planted on something out of the picture frame. He was so impertinent that it often made her giggle. Her eyes closed as she thought of what he might look like now that he was fifteen. Heat crept up to her cheeks and made her feel warm all over. She would never admit it to anyone, but she couldn't help but fantasize about Sasuke. After all, he was absolutely gorgeous; she didn't suppose that much had changed. 

Pale hands caressed her stomach as her thoughts drifted to Sasuke. She imagined that her hands were his as she wrapped them around her small waist. She'd like to think that she was over him, but she still thought of him often. Many of her thoughts were more like fantasies now that she was older and more in tune with her body. Thinking of him as a man sent a tingle down her spine that had never presented itself before. When she was twelve, her daydreams consisted of Sasuke actually liking her abnormally large forehead and kissing her chastely on the lips. Well, lately her desires had become a little more. . . explicit. Sometimes it took place in a bed and sometimes it didn't. One thing she knew, she wanted Sasuke more now that she hadn't seen him in two years then she did before he'd left. Her mind went back to her hands as she pushed them down her hips to the insides of her thighs.

"_Sasuke-kun_. . .," she bit her lip and imagined an older, shirtless Sasuke.

"Sakura! It's 6:45, are you ready yet! You know you have a meeting with Tsunade-sama at 7:15, and you still haven't eaten breakfast!"

"Uhh," she groaned with displeasure. "Well that certainly killed the mood," Sakura mumbled exasperatedly under her breath. "I'll be down in a minute mother!" It looked as if her desires would have to wait until another time, a time when her mother's screeching voice wouldn't break into her thoughts and squelch the love. She walked over to her closet and grabbed her red shirt, black shorts, and white skirt. After putting them on regretfully, she made her way downstairs to eat breakfast. 

Sakura ate quickly, as not to be late for her meeting with Tsunade. Last time she was late, her practice seemed more like a punishment than a means for her to become more skilled. Needless to say, she made it a priority never to be late for a meeting with the hokage again. Grabbing her ninja tool bag, she swung the wood door open to leave. On the way out, she heard her mother call her name, and stopped.

"Yes," Sakura inquired with her head in the door and body anxious to leave.

"Are you. . . Um. . . Going to be straight home. . .," her mother hesitated, waiting for an answer. Sakura knew what her mother was thinking. What she meant to ask was, "Are you going to the Uchiha house to, once again, wallow in Sasuke's memory?" It made Sakura angry to think that her mother believed her to be obsessed with Sasuke, because she wasn't. She missed her teammate; it comforted her to be in his home. She went to relax, not to worship. The truth was, she hadn't been in months. There were some strange noises coming from below the floorboards, and she didn't know it would be possible for any person to get down there. To put it quite frank, it had creeped her out. It was true that she was ninja and wasn't afraid to fight corporeal beings, but her courage ended there. Anything dead was up to someone else. 

"Unless something unexpected comes up, I'll be home at the usual time." Her mother looked decidedly relieved by that statement, making Sakura more agitated. Nevertheless, she smiled, told her mother she loved her, and shut the door quietly behind her. A kunoichi never knew if she would get to see her loved ones again, so it was best to forget all quarrels and move on.

"You mean, you asked me here this early. . . for a front gate report retrieval?" Sakura's tired eyes looked at the hokage with respectful, but questioning emphasis.

"Sakura, are you questioning my orders?" Tsunade stated this with both authority and a smile that didn't come out often.

"No Tsunade-same," exclaimed Sakura, with a complementary bow. "It's just that you don't usually ask me to do such mundane tasks this early in the morning."

"Well, I'm asking now."

"Yes, well then, I'll go pick it up." Sakura bowed once more before turning to leave the hokage's office.

"Sakura," called Tsunade from behind her.

"Yes," she inquired, wondering what could be left to say. 

"After you get that report, make sure you come back to my office A.S.A.P. Is that understood?" The hokage's big brown eyes stared at Sakura under raised eyebrows meant to acknowledge the importance of her statement.

"Yes, of course." With that, Sakura turned and exited the office. 

Now starting to feel energized, she decided to take the roofs to the main gate. This wasn't a very considerate way to travel taking into account that people get annoyed when you jump on their house or place of establishment. She had a few fond memories of team seven getting in a bit of trouble for such foolery. It had taken a very convincing argument from her, and a lot of prodding on Naruto's part, to get Sasuke to participate. She'd told him it would be good training for building up his stamina, which he didn't need, and Naruto told him he could get back at Lee for kicking his butt before the chuunin exams. Sakura was pretty sure it was the latter of the two arguments that had convinced him to take part in their roof skipping escapade. Either way, she'd never laughed so hard as she did watching Sasuke stomp two-footed, hands clenched, over Rock Lee's room. 

Somehow between her memory and surprising speed, Sakura had made it quicker than she'd expected to the main gate of the village. She smiled at Kotetsu and his friend, both to which the young kuniochi's of the village referred to as the "sexy proctors," as she made her way to the village entry reception desk. 

"Got a report for me nii-san," she asked sunnily. 

"Right here Sakura-chan." Kotetsu handed the papers to her with a grin not unlike a cat's.

"Thank you. So, have you seen anything interesting walk through the gates today?"

"Actually, we might have seen a number one, hyper-active, knuckleheaded ninja make his way through here with, what he believes to be, a pervy sage." Kotetsu smiled at Sakura's wide grin and excited bright green eyes.

"Naruto's back! Are you sure you didn't get him confused with some other crazy, idiotic blonde?"

"Nope, it was him, but he sure has," Sakura was running towards the village before he could finish his sentence. She found that she could barely keep her breathing steady or her excitement at bay as she ran, looking for her friend.

She stopped when she saw Jaraiya talking to Konohamaru and his teammates near the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. They were looking up and speaking with big smiles. Her eyes traveled to the top of a telephone pole, on which an older Naruto stood with wide-spread arms. Showing two neat rows of perfect white teeth, Sakura smiled and felt her eyes water.

"Oi, Naruto!" She shielding her eyes from the sun and yelled to him loudly. He turned and looked down, squinting his eyes to check out his caller. A wide grin spread across his face as his blue eyes focused on his sorely-missed teammate.

"Sakura-chan!" He was before her in an instant and in her arms the next.

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. As always, don't forget to review, it makes me happy on the inside. .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Let me start by saying, screaming XO, I'M AM SOOOO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER! I have been practically torturing myself studying for my AB Calculus test (which I failed) o.O and I pulled my ass out of place. Yeah, it always sounds funny until it happens to you. Remember that! I will definitely be putting chapters out more often now that summer is here. In fact, I put out these last chapters all together in a desperate attempt to gain back your affection and make up for my lack of story. :3**

**Part One: Before**

**Chapter 4**

"You'll never get anywhere this way Sasuke-kun," the pale man hissed from either side of his tongue. Sasuke's breath came in short, ragged jerks as the slimy appendage contracted again, squeezing his rib cage tighter around his soft organs. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his next move. With finesse he hadn't possessed before his stay with Orochimaru, Sasuke touched his middle and index fingers to the summoning tattoos on his wrists. He had acquired the tattoos only after six months of being in Orochimaru's stead. They allowed him to summon weaponry at a slight touch; it would be very helpful in the battle against his brother. Upon touching his inked wrists, sharp shuriken appeared in both hands. Orochimaru's goading disintegrated when one of Sasuke's shuriken pierced his long tongue and another flew inches past his face. Sasuke felt the pressure around his middle ease as he slipped out of the smothering grip.

Faster than should be humanly possible, Sasuke pulled his katana from its sheathe and forced Raikiri through its blade. Blue veins of lightning sliced through the air towards Orochimaru. Being the skilled Sannin that he was, Orochimaru moved from the path of the Chidori. Sasuke smirked behind his curtain of black hair as Orochimaru side-stepped directly into the path of the row of shuriken that had been hidden within the one that had glided past his head just moments earlier. Orochimaru's eyes grew wide as he felt shuriken penetrate his clothing and puncture his pale skin. He fell to his knees from the impact and looked up at Sasuke with a sly grin. Sasuke had gotten use to this expression and shrugged it off by sheathing his katana and taking a step back from where Orochimaru sat smiling up at him.

"Am I starting to get somewhere," Sasuke said, expressionless. A frown replaced Orochimaru's grin as he was being mocked by a fifteen-year-old genin.

"Sasuke-kun, there's no need to be vicious." Placing his hand on his knee, Orochimaru stood, the shuriken falling flatly to the ground as the wounds began to heal themselves. Healing jutsu was something Sasuke had been meaning to learn; it would certainly help him later.

"I'm done." Sasuke turned to leave Orochimaru behind and walked back to the hideout. Once he had gotten into his room and eaten, he sat on his bed staring into the mirror across from him. He had wondered why he kept one, it wasn't like he cared what he looked like. Part of him wanted to break it into tiny pieces, and part of him clung to it to make sure his body still belonged to him; so he knew he was still himself.

From across the room he peered into his own dark, shadowed eyes. They were tired, but alert. His hair was longer than it had been two years ago, and the spikes that had once stuck up stubbornly now lay limp on the back of his head. The face that had once been slightly round was now composed of a strong, angular jaw line and a straight, aristocratic nose. His thin torso and shoulders had widened and filled out, giving him the lean, muscular physique of the young man he had become. Powerful biceps and forearms had replaced the sinewy muscles he had possessed as a boy. He had also grown much taller over the last two years; in the back of his mind he wondered how his two team members had changed.

He smirked as he thought Naruto would still be shorter than him. A small laugh escaped Sasuke's lips as he imagined his former teammate in the same ridiculous orange jumpsuit. The image of Naruto in his head depicted him fitting way too snuggly in the same size of jumpsuit he had worn years before. His thoughts drifted all to quickly to his female teammate. Former teammate. He had trouble seeing Sakura any older than twelve; she had been so immature. In his mind stood a thin, flat little girl with short, light pink hair. Admittedly, he had found her cute when they were young, but now the thought of her thin, shapeless frame did little to turn him on. That was saying something considering his hormones were telling him to tackle anything female and alive within one-hundred feet of him. He assumed it was a symptom of being a fifteen-year-old teenage male locked up with a nerd and a disgusting psychopath.

Wanting to get away from thoughts of Orochimaru, Sasuke's mind went back to Sakura. Not that it interested him, but he wondered if she still thought of him, if she remembered what she had said to him the night he had left. . . if she stilled liked him. He found the thought of Sakura sitting at home and waiting for him quite pathetic. Though, the same part of him that wanted the mirror hoped for Sakura's affection.

A soft grunt escaped his dry lips as he leaned back on his bed with his arms folded behind his head; he was still weak. He couldn't seem to escape his past in Konoha and it bothered him that he couldn't hate the people that had dragged him down for so many years. Cutting off all ties to his village had proved to be more difficult than he had thought. He closed his eyes, and they burned from lack of sleep. Wide palms rose up to rub his red, itchy eyes as he rolled over onto his side. Without pulling the covers over his still-clothed body, Sasuke fell asleep faster than he ever had in the last year.

**Sorry Sasuke's chapters are so short, they won't be like that for the whole story. He just doesn't have much to say right now being locked up with Orochimaru and Kabuto (the nerd!). As always, please review because if you do you will gain my undying love and affection (or at least another few chapters : ). **


	5. Chapter 5

**This is a much longer chapter than usual. I hope you like it. I know a lot of you must be thinking, "I thought she said there was lemon in this story!?" Well I did, so hold your horses you perverts. ; ) It's coming, but not in this chapter. Sorry. :P Please read and enjoy it anyway.**

**Part One: Before**

**Chapter 5**

Sakura looked into the mirror with one of the saddest looks she had ever seen grace her face. She just couldn't believe that she had done it, but there she stood. Her pink hair hung prettily on either side of her face and her make-up made her features even more dazzling. The cherry red dress she had picked out hugged her curves nicely and flowed around her knees when she walked. Her shoes were flats, but they did nothing to stifle her sex appeal. She took a deep breath and held it in; she was going on a date with Naruto. The breath she had been holding came out in one fell swoop as she plopped down onto the chair near her desk.

"I can't believe I'm actually going through this," she mumbled to herself with her hands half over her eyes and fingers in her hair. She knew she wasn't ready to go on a date with anyone, much less Naruto. But would she ever be ready to be with someone. . . other than Sasuke. The thought of being with anyone else seemed foreign to her. Her mind never drifted to far away from him, and many of her nights were still filled with dreams of him and her, or nightmares of never seeing him again, or something happening to him. Tear filled eyes spilled over when she shut her them to the horrible thought of losing him. She never got to see him, but she knew he was somewhere; to think that he wouldn't be in her world, she couldn't think of it.

Wiping her eyes with the palms of her hands, she checked her make-up, sure that she had smudged it. She walked into the bathroom to freshen up, and before she could turn off the light, she heard her mother call her downstairs. Her mother was ecstatic about her date with Naruto. Her mother couldn't stand the thought of her "beautiful daughter" wasting her affection on as cold a traitor as Sasuke Uchiha. Sometimes Sakura wanted to tell her mother to shut up and defend Sasuke's name, but most of the time she thought her mother to be right. Sakura knew she could get a good guy if she wanted, someone who would love and respect her. Sakura also knew that Sasuke had never cared for and didn't deserve her love even if he asked for it. However, all of these truths meant next to nothing when she looked at the few pictures she had of the troubled boy. Granted she didn't know that much about him, but she loved everything she did know. She loved Sasuke for everything he was and everything that he wasn't. The worst part was that she couldn't control her feeling for him; he could have her if he ever wanted her. She was weak for Sasuke Uchiha and she hated it.

When she got half-way down the stairs she saw her mother talking to Naruto. It made her angry to see her mother so happy about everything; it made her want to tell Naruto she had changed her mind. But she just couldn't do that to him. He asked her out more times than she could count, and she had turned him down ruthlessly every time. No, she couldn't avoid it this time. Her biggest fear was that she would actually like her date and forget about Sasuke, but she also hoped for it. The bottom line was that she was confused.

She walked the rest of the way down the stairs and greeted Naruto with the sweetest smile she could muster in her current emotional state of confusion and sorrow. Naruto's cobalt eyes widened at the site of Sakura's pale legs walking down the stairs, the red material of her dress swaying about her knees. Her cherry lipstick matched her dress and made her look more like the beautiful young lady that she was.

"Come on Naruto, let's go," she said taking his hand. He pulled his hand out of hers and grabbed her jacket from the clothes rack beside the door. She had to smile when he draped it over her shoulders shyly.

She could see Ichiraku Ramen from several yards away and wanted to laugh at Naruto for being dumb enough to bring any date to the ramen shop, but at the same time, it was very him. She wondered where Sasuke would bring a girl on a first date. Sakura quickly told her mind to shut up about Sasuke and that it wasn't fair to Naruto to think about him during their date. Pushing Sasuke out of her head as best she could, Sakura hooked her arm in Naruto's. He looked down at her in awe, then smiled at her brightly.

Half-way to the ramen shop, they ran into Lee. Sakura giggled into her hand at the horrified look on Rock Lee's face.

"What is going on here," Lee asked pointing at their intertwined arms.

"Me and Sakura-chan are on a date. See Bushy Brows?" Naruto held up their interlocked hands.

"Sakura-chan, I did not know you like Naruto that way?"

"Well. . ."

"Of course she does Bushy Brows. Can't you see anything with those big bug eyes of yours?" Sakura bit her lip at Naruto's statement; she couldn't tell him that she didn't really like him "that way." He would be crushed. All she could do was smile and tell him that if they didn't hurry someone would eat all of the ramen; being Naruto he just couldn't take that chance.

While the ate she did her best to pay attention and not let her mind wonder to things that weren't appropriate on her date with Naruto. The conversation was light, they talked about the kind of things a couple would talk about on a first date. In fact, everything went smoothly, everything they did seemed to fit for a first date. Still, Sakura felt something was wrong, missing. Unfortunately, she knew what that something was, and had a hard time willing it to go away the entire night.

It was nine o'clock when Naruto walked Sakura up the front steps of her apartment. They stood on the stoop awkwardly for a few minutes before Naruto scratched the back of his head and leaned in to kiss Sakura on the cheek. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped back away for him.

"Naruto, I'm sorry, I just. . . I just can't do this right now." He looked confused and his blonde eyebrows were knit close together with concern.

"What's wrong Sakura-chan? Didn't you have a good time?"

"Yes, I had a really good time with, because. . . you're one of my best friends." There it was. She had said it. The "F" word. He was her best "friend." Sakura knew he understood what she meant, because as dumb as Naruto could act sometimes, he wasn't stupid. His blue eyes were heavy lidded with disappointment.

"Why couldn't you have just told me that from the beginning?"

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"It's Sasuke isn't it?" She put her head down at the sound of his name and tried to fight the tears that came too easily to her eyes. Involuntarily, Naruto pulled her into a tight hug.

"Don't worry. We'll get him back Sakura-chan." She didn't have the heart to tell him she didn't want to drag Sasuke back only to have him leave again and hate them even more.

"I don't deserve your friendship. I never do anything for you."

"People aren't friends because they do each other favors Sakura-chan." She looked up into his soft blue eyes, and for the first time, truly believed he would make an incredible hokage. He looked so confident and wise, it was strange the way she trusted him.

"Thank you for everything Naruto."

"It was no big deal Sakura-chan." She hugged before turning to go into her house. When she got inside her room and changed, she felt a sudden rush of loneliness. She felt panicked, like if she didn't get out of the infinite silence of her room she would scream. As fast as her legs would carry her she careened down the stairs, grabbed her raincoat and boots, and left. Jumping swiftly from one tree to another, she reached the Uchiha Compound fairly quickly. She ran down the streets that had become familiar to her until she got the last house furthest to the right.

When she entered the house, she immediately felt safer than she had in her own home. Removing her boots and raincoat, she walked to the bedroom she knew to be his. She reached the bed and collapsed onto the soft, midnight blue, comforter. Once she was properly buried beneath the warm covers, she inhaled the scent she missed too much. She wanted nothing more than to lay there and breath him in. Her last thought before drifting off to sleep was that she there was something seriously wrong with her.

A noise that seemed far away had already made an appearance in her sleep twice, but when she heard it a third time she woke up and looked around the large room. Her eyes quickly and precisely adjusted to the dark and roamed the space around her. A scream caught in her throat when she heard the footsteps of another person and saw their shadow looming ominously in the doorway. She sat frozen in fear, her training forgotten for only a moment before she jumped from underneath the covers and took on a battle stance.

**What the hell!? A cliff hanger!? That can't be right! Booo! Yeah I know, it sucks that I left ya hangin', but it's worth it I promise! If you liked this chapter, which I sincerely hoped you did, please for the love of all that is SasuSaku REVIEW YOU CRAZY PEOPLE! Thanks for reading, the next chapter will be most pwnsome.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm not gonna lie, this chapter took a lot more time than the others even though it's not that much longer. (Wipes sweat off forehead.) It's hard to right when your little sister is breathing down your neck to get it done. This chapter is a fun one for those who are feeling a little saucy. Of course the real fun won't start until later, but as they say Rome wasn't built in a day, so have some patients. I know I usually forget, but these characters DO NOT belong to me; they belong to Mishashi Kishimoto. If only he knew what to do with such a wonderful pairing such as Sasuke and Sakura! I hope that he starts writing some action in his manga. I want to see some lurv. 3**

**Part One: Before**

**Chapter 6**

Sakura could see the intruder halt in front of the doorway, as if caught off guard. She had always been told in training to breathe and hold her stance until the enemy made a move, but her enemy remained stationary; he knew that rule as well. After what seemed like minutes, her adversary withdrew his katana and stepped forward. For every step he came forward she took a step back; this process was repeated until her back was pressed against the wall. What had she been thinking? She had come without so much as a kunai, but she hadn't suspected someone to come to the Uchiha Compound. Usually, a ninja would want to conceal themselves by staying in the dark, but in this situation, Sakura found it more beneficial to see her opponent. Slowly, she felt for the knob on the bedside lamp and turned it on. As light spread throughout the room and her eyes adjusted to the light, Sakura's mouth hung open just enough to see tiny white teeth peaky from underneath her upper lip.

"Sasuke-kun." It was not a question but a flat statement that seemed to fill up the room. It was tangible and she breathed it in; her lungs filled with his name instead of air. Large, heavily lashed eyes looked on with wide shock that was clearly apparent in the tiny pupils dotting the sea green irises. Before she could gather her thoughts, her back was pressed numbingly against the white wall of the bedroom. Her blood was cut off by the large hand around her neck.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was even and deeper than she had remembered. Her heart broke. Not because of what he had said, but because of how he had said it. He stated it clearly and without feeling, as if he didn't really care one way or the other.

"Sasuke-kun." Her voice was gravelly from having just woken up and from the immense pressure bearing down on her windpipe.

"Sakura." He looked at her, thoroughly examining everything he saw. Instead of the lanky girl he had thought she would be, a shapely young woman stood in front of him. Murky black eyes became heavy lidded as they took in the long, pale legs that flowered into perfectly rounded hips. Her waist was tiny in comparison, and though her breasts weren't large, they filled the small nightdress well. Reluctantly, he directed his eyes back to her face and found that his hand had loosened considerably.

"Sasuke-kun, why are you here?" She looked at him with hopeful eye, but knew that his answer would not be the one she wanted.

"I asked first." Sasuke was curious as to why she was sleeping in his bed; he could only imagine what excuse she was going to throw out to defend her sanity.

"I. . . I. . . I don't have to tell you anything." The voice that came from her mouth didn't sound like her own; it sounded defeated. He had won before the battle even began. She fought to keep some of what was left of her dignity.

"You're the one who shouldn't be here. You left the village!" Eyes that just moments before been black transformed into swirling pools of red, and the grip that was once loose became binding.

"This is my home!" His calm attitude had melted away in an instant, and Sakura found that she would rather have his anger than his indifference.

"Not anymore! You left the village and that makes you unwelcome, even here!" Her hands went to his chest as she used some of her chakra to push him back.

"Get out." His voice barely escaped from his clenched jaw and gritted teeth. Sakura suddenly felt as though she had made a mistake by yelling at him. What if he had planned to stay, or if she could have changed his mind. She reached out to him and whispered his name softly.

"Sasuke-kun."

He slapped her hand away from him and said, "Get out!"

Her instincts told her to run screaming away from him and every muscle in her body was willing to trust those feelings. . . except for her heart. She wouldn't be afraid of him. She wasn't a child anymore.

"Sasuke-kun." She reached out again, this time making contact with the back of his white shirt. His shoulder muscles were bunched up and provided Sasuke with an impenetrable steel wall. She placed her other hand at the crook of his arm and realized how much he had grown. He was so tall compared to how he was before he left. Looking up at his dark hair, she wanted to run her fingers through it; she had always wanted to do that. His shoulders and chest were so broad, but not to big for her to put her arms around.

"Leave Sakura." Sasuke's quiet tone cut through her examination of him.

Thinking that she had nothing to lose, at least nothing she hadn't already lost, she laid her head against his arm and asked calmly, "Why are you back?"

He stepped away from her as she knew he would and replied over his shoulder, "I don't have to tell you anything." She recognized that to be one of her answers to his questions. She'd almost forgotten he was so stubborn.

"Sasuke-kun I have to know." She followed him as he was walking out of the room. He kept walking as if he hadn't even heard her.

"Sasuke-kun," she called to him again, hoping that he would at least turn around and face her.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura recalled this situation all to well. He would most likely call her annoying and leave. She just couldn't stand it if he left her again, this time without a thank you.

"Sasuke!" At the sound of his name without the suffix, he turned to face her. With one hand resting on his katana and the other hanging limply by his side, he watched her through shadowed eyes.

Sakura thought of all the words she could say to convince him to stay, and waste. She thought of all the tears she could cry to make him come back, and waste. In a single moment she decided to act instead of talk; talking didn't work last time, so it definitely wouldn't work this time. Holding her breath, she walked to him as confidently as she possible could.

He watched as she made her way towards him, the sway of her hips causing a ripple in the thin, cotton slip. Knowing that he should turn and leave, he stood waiting for her to get close. When she stopped in front of him he looked over her as if she weren't there at all, but when he felt her small fingers on his chest, his eyes shut and his hands clenched into fists. He had expected her to be so bold as to touch him. He squeezed them tight as he felt ten smooth fingertips glide down his abdomen and inside the folds of his shirt to his sides. The tip of her nose nuzzled at his collarbone, and he felt soft, full lips press against the hollow of his neck. His Adam's apple rose and fell as he swallowed back the lump that had formed in his throat. Small palms slid teasingly back to his abdomen and back up to spread across his chest. It seemed like no time had past before her hands were at his neck, her fingers splayed against the hard tendons of his throat. Sasuke released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

Wetting her lips, she placed another chaste kiss on Adam's apple. Her mind was nowhere near her body as she touched Sasuke as she had always wanted to. Fingers she couldn't seem to control trailed to the nape of his neck where she pushed them into the spiky wisps of midnight hair. To her surprise they were soft and felt like feathers between her fingers. Sasuke never moved as she brought her hands from the top of his head to the sides of his face. She stroked lovingly at his face and let her fingertips play across his dry lips. He remained still as she lifted herself onto the tips of her toes and gently kissed his bottom lip. Unable to quell her desire nipped more playfully at his mouth and let the tip of her tongue graze the crease between his lips.

When he felt her tongue on his lips, his eyes opened just enough to look down at her. As if answering a question, he licked his lips and bent his head low and in her reach. He didn't kiss her, but he left his mouth open for her. Taking the hint, Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth completely against his. She pressed her body against his as she slipped her tongue passed his lips, tasting him for the first time. At first, the kiss was timid and experimental, but as her passion increased, her kiss deepened. Her tongue delved deep into Sasuke's mouth, forcing him to open wider as she directed the kiss.

She jumped as she felt Sasuke's arms tighten around her waist. He pressed his face to hers and pulled her as close as their bodily structures would allow. Kissing her back for the first time, Sasuke entangled his tongue with Sakura's until he was unsure of whose mouth was whose. Their heads changed positions to allow better access to each others mouths, and their hands began to navigate the more hidden parts of each other's body's. Sakura's breath was ragged as she ran her nails down Sasuke's back. For her efforts she received a primal growl from Sasuke that made her wonder if he had a demon sealed in him as well. Wanting to remove everything blocking her body from being against Sasuke's, Sakura reached to extricate his katana from his side. A steel grip around her wrist broke her out the tingly reality that had been created by their heated act.

Sasuke pushed Sakura's hand away from the sheathe of his katana and took a few hurried steps backward. He felt as if he had just woken up from a strange dream that had made his mind turn to mush. Her hands fell lifeless at her side as she surveyed the frightened look on his face. Sasuke had never felt that way, so out of control; it scared him to think he wasn't in charge of his own emotions. Without a word, he turned and walked out of the door of his old house.

Sakura stood dazed as she witnessed him walking out of life again. It was a strange feeling, not crying when seeing the love of her life leave her behind for a second time. She felt more assured than she had ever been that she would see Sasuke again. Sakura strolled back into his bedroom and glanced calmly at the clock; it was time for her to go home. Putting her arms into her raincoat and pushing her feet into the boots, she left the Uchiha Compound feeling much lighter and happier than she had any right to be at a time like that.

**I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm sad to say you might have to wait a few more chapters (or more) before we get some serious steam going on, but when it comes it will be well worth the wait. Until then, as always, REVIEW! It makes me happy to know you're entertained and encourages me to write faster. See ya next time!**


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